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AACC is extending its clinical and scientific expertise to another part of the world. In March 2018, the association will host its first-ever Middle East conference and expo in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), showcasing the latest developments in clinical laboratory medicine, innovations from the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry, and best practices from experts in the field. AACC Middle East represents a partnership between the association and Al Borg Medical Laboratories, a large chain of private labs that serves patients in the Gulf regions and African countries. Plans for the conference were announced July 30 at AACC’s 69th Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo in San Diego.

“Healthcare is increasingly global and interconnected,” said AACC CEO Janet B. Kreizman in a statement. In Middle Eastern countries in particular, a need exists for high-quality scientific and educational programming for laboratory medicine professionals.

“The AACC leadership is excited to bring forward this new opportunity for laboratory experts from a range of healthcare settings to learn about the latest innovations in clinical testing and engage with like-minded professionals from the Middle East and nearby regions,” she said.

AACC Middle East attendees will have the opportunity to network with experts from the U.S. and the Middle East, and their peers, to share knowledge on new breakthroughs in laboratory medicine. Kreizman expects that all major players from the IVD industry will take part in this groundbreaking event. The program is expected to attract people who might not be able to travel to the AACC Annual Scientific Meeting on a regular basis.

“We held a smaller-scale event earlier this year in Abu Dhabi and drew more than 400 attendees from the Gulf region. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and participants were eager to have another event in the UAE,” Kreizman told CLN Stat. This does not rule out doing similar programs in other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in future years, she added.

The scientific program and exposition will feature the latest advances in mobile health, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, next-generation sequencing, point-of-care, and automation. Some of the content will include selected sessions from the recent AACC Annual Scientific Meeting. These were chosen because they would appeal to the audience in the GCC, Kreizman explained.

The agenda will not be limited solely to sessions from the AACC Annual Scientific Meeting, however. Based on survey responses from attendees at the earlier event in Abu Dhabi, the program committee for AACC Middle East plans to explore programming to address specific needs and topics, she said.